Sharp freezing container



1935-. J. M. KISSELLE SHARP FREEZING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 13, 1951 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 0 flMVSeZ ATTORNEY 19 Dec. 24, 1935. J. M.KISSELLE SHARP FREEZING. CONTAINER Filed Oct. 15, 193], 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INE ENTOR.

' L70)? MZ weZZe Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESHARP FREEZING CONTAINER 14 Claims.

This invention relates to sharp freezing containers, and has to doparticularly with that type of container having compartment formingpartitions for the forming of ice cubes or blocks.

The object of the present invention is to facilitate the removal of iceblocks or cubes from an ice cube tray, and is in the nature of animprovement over prior art ice cube trays of this type, such as. therubber trays disclosed in Copeman Reissue Patent No. 17,278, and thetriangular shaped flexible metal partition disclosed by the SpreenPatent No. 1,688,887, in that ready removal of the ice blocks isobtained by hinging the compartment forming walls of the partition.

Instead of relying mainly upon flexibility, distortability, or theparticular kind of material used, the essential feature of the presentinvention contemplates the bodily movement of one partition wallrelative to another to facilitate ejection or removal of the ice cubes.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sharp freezing container provided witha compartment forming partition unit embodying the present invention.

Fig. 21s a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and illustratingthe preferred method of hinglng ,the partition walls when arranged toform triangular shaped blocks of ice.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating in dotted lines the relativebodily movement of the compartment walls.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a slightly modifiedform of the structure shown in Fig. 2, wherein both the top and bottomapexes of the triangular shaped partition walls are hinged.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modified form ofthe invention wherein the hinged partition walls are shaped to form iceblocks' or cubes of rectangular cross section.

Fig. 6 is a further modification somewhat along the lines shown in Fig.5 except that the surfaces of the hinged partitions are coated: with amaterial to which ice does not readily adhere.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a. container unit constructed inaccordance with the showing in Fig. 4 and illustrating notches in thetop of the container wall for positioning the hinged pins.

"Fig. 8 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 7. a

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner oflocating the hinged partition sections at the top of the container wall.

In illustrating the various embodiments of the present invention, I haveshown ice cube trays 91.

a single width, but it will be distinctly understood that the hingedpartition units may be designed and used in any multiple arrangementdesired. In this connection the outside container unit 2 is preferablyof metal and of any standard shape. 5 A removable partition unit 3 isadapted to be inserted within the container 2, and as shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3, this partition unit is made up of a plurality of invertedV-shaped members 4, hinged together at the bottom as at 5, the end 10members 6 of the partition being preferably provided with suitableextensions 1 to permit grasping of the partition in the removal of theice' cubes. By this arrangement the adjacent hinged walls form the uppercompartments for forming 15 the ice blocks. Inasmuch as the walls ofeach compartment are relatively bodily movable, it will be seen thatflexibility ceases tobecome an important factor as far as ice cuberemoval is concerned. Material forming the partition unit need 20 nottherefore be flexible, but may be made quite rigid and solid so as toobtain relatively great conductivity and provide a permanent partitionunit which may be neatly fitted within the container at all times. Thisis in direct contrast to 25 the standard one piece flexible partitionmember which upon distortion and flexing loses its original shape afterextended use.

The relative bodily movement of the compartment walls will assistmaterially in the removal 30 of the partition and the frozen blocks ofice from the container. The operator can grasp the portion I at one endof the partition and move the same inwardly, compressing the block ofice in the first compartment during the first part of the 35 movementand then releasing the block of ice when the partition member 6 is upfar enough to permit forward lateral movement. In this manner, one orseveral ice blocks may be removed from the container without removingthe entire 40 partition from the container, or after the entirepartition has been removed in any manner it will be obvious, referringparticularly to Fig. 3, that movement of the compartment walls about thehinged members will result in relatively bodily 4 movement of suchcompartment walls and the release of the ice blocks.

The partition unit may be so formed as to provide a hinged connection 8at the top of each compartment wall as well as at the bottom. In this 50case it is desirable to have transverse depressions 9 in the bottom wallof the container so as to locate the bottom hinge members 5 of thepartition unit, or if desired the bottom of the container may be formedas shown at It in dotted 55 .REISSUED that with hinged compartmentmembers and walls lines so as to form a series of spaced triangularshaped portions for positively locating the walls of the partition unit.In the latter case the only ice blocks formed will be those formed bythe opened compartments of the partition unit; in other words, theremoval of the partition unit in such case would not leave any iceblocks in the container, as would be the case in the unit shown in Figs.1 and 2.

The partition unit instead ofbeing arranged to form triangularly shapedcompartments may be arranged as shown in Fig. 5 to form cubical orrectangular shaped compartments. In this case the side walls II and 12of the partition are preferably slightly inwardly and downwardly taperedand are hinged together as at Hi. The operation of such a unit as shownin Fig. 5 willbe substantially the same as the partition'unit'shown inFig. 2.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a somewhat modified form ofthe structure shown inFig. 5 wherein the compartment forming walls H and I! are cov-. ered,preferably on both sides, with a coating H of rubber orany permanentmaterial such as tung oil mixture, as set forth in Hathorne Patent No.1,932,731. Whatever permanent material is selected, it should be of sucha'nature that ice will not readily adhere to it. Itwill be obviousformed of rubber and the like that the-removal of theice blocks will bea comparatively. easy matter.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, I have illustrated a modified manner of mountingthe partition unit shown in Fig. 4 wherein the bottom of the containeris preferably flat but a series ,of depressions ii are formed in the topside wall of the container to receive and locate the hinged pins ii ofthe partition unit.

It will be understood that the descriptive word hinged in thespecification and claims is used in its broadest sense and refers merelyto a mechanical joint having a hinging or pivotal action.

What I claim is:

1. A sharp freezing container comprising a removable partition unithaving 1 compartment forming walls, said compartments normally extendingthe length of the container, said walls being hinged to facilitateremoval of frozen blocks from said compartments.

2. A sharp freezing container, comprising a removable partition unitadapted to be positioned withinthe container to form compartments, atleast-one'wall of each compartment being transversely hinged to permitrelativebodily movement of the walls of the compartments.

3. A sharp freezing container, comprising a re,- movable' partition unitadapted to be positioned within acontainer to form compartments, all ofsaid partitions extending transversely of the side walls of thecontainer, the end compartment formed by said partition unit havinghinged walls to permit bodily movement of the walls of said endcompartment.

4. A .sharp freezing container comprising a partition shaped to dividethe container into comcompartment being hinged, said adjacent verticalwalls being positioned at an angle to each other to form triangularlyshaped compartments.

7. A sharp freezing container, comprising a partition shaped to dividethe container into compartments, the adjacent walls of each compartmentbeing integral and parallel to the end wall of the container and thebottom wall of the compartments being hinged.

8. A sharp freezing container comprising a partition shaped to dividethe container into compartments, the adjacent-walls of each compartmentbeing integral and the walls of each compartment being hinged, andspaced depressions formed in said container for positioning the hingedcompartments.

9. A sharp freezing container comprising a partition unit withina-container, said partition unit being made up of a plurality of unitshinged together in zigzag form to provide compartments, a wall of saidcontainer being so shaped as to positively locate the individual hingedcompartments within the container.

10. A sharp freezing container comprising a partition unit formed toprovide inverted V shaped compartments, the side walls of eachcompartment being hinged together at the bottom and the bottom wall ofsaid container being shaped to cooperate with the walls of saidcompartment to locate the same in proper spaced relationship within thecontainer.

11.,A sharp freezing container comprising a partition unit formed ofsections of relatively thin material hinged together to form a pluralityof compartments, the walls of said partition unit being formed of amaterial to which ice doessnot 45 readily adhere.

12. A sharp freezing container comprising a partition unit formed ofsections hinged together to form a plurality of compartments, both sidesof the walls of said partition unit being formed to form a plurality ofcompartments, the ends of the compartments being defined by side wallsof the tray, the points of hinging being closely adjacent the walls ofeach compartment, some of the walls being-coated with a permanent ma- G0terial to which ice does not readily adhere.

, 14. A sharp freezing container comprising a partition unit 7 formed ofsections of relatively thin material hinged together to form-a pluralityof compartments for receiving a substance to be frozen, surfaces of thewalls of said compartments in contact with said substance to be frozenbeing formed of a material to which ice does not readily adhere.

JOHN M. KISSELLE.

